My Mummy
by BlackCat46
Summary: I really don't have much of a summary. Jerome is five, he lives in Anubis house. (R&R, slight OOC.) T because I say so.
1. Chapter 1

*I OWN ONLY PLOT*

Slowly, Jerome padded down the hall. It was darker than anything he'd ever seen and he'd only been living in Anubis house two days. The creepy caretaker walked out of nowhere and shouted "BOY! What are you doing?"

Jerome whimpered. He was only small and Victor looked like a giant in comparison. "I thirsty, sir. I needy drink."

"Where is that useless woman? You should ask her." Victor snarled, then he shouted "Trudy, get down here, you lazy girl!"

A young woman with flowing dark hair shot down the stairs, tripping a little. She was only in her mid-twenties, quite clumsy when she was tired and very adoring over Jerome. "Yes?" She asked, her accent more pronounced with her sleepiness.

"You stupid girl, why weren't you making sure this child was asleep?" Victor snapped.

"He was! I made certain before I went to bed." Trudy told him, desperate. "Why did you wake me?"

"Your pathetic charge woke up, thirsty. You're in charge of it, water the little thing. Go on!" Victor snapped at her, then smacked her around her head.

Trudy gasped and picked up the small boy. "OK! Jerome, honey, are you thirsty?"

"A little, Miss Rehman." He replied, his baby voice working wonders on her.

She cooed, loving the small child. "Come on then, baby boy, let's get my baby some water." She smiled, carrying him like a newborn baby. He preferred her when she was in her nightwear, she looked more gentle. During the day, she wore leather and stiletto heels with a lot of dark makeup. At night, she wore soft white gowns, no makeup and her curls were loose. Jerome liked that version of her.

She handed him a plastic cup. He said "Miss Rehman, you berry pretty."

Her cheeks flushed pink. "Aw, baby boy. Thank you, dearie. Just call me Trudy."

He smiled at her. "You name pretty, too, Miss Trudy." He put aside his cup and hugged her.

Trudy chuckled. "Aw, baby boy. Come, my lovely." She scooped him up and carried him to her room. "You can stay with me, if you like."

He snuggled against her, enjoying her warmth. "Miss Trudy?" He asked sleepily as she carried him upstairs.

"Yes, darling?" She asked softly.

Jerome murmured "Do you know who I want to marry when I grow up?"

She whispered "Tell me, darling."

Jerome smiled sleepily. "You."

Trudy felt like she was going to cry. "Aw, lovely." She whispered.

As she reached her bedroom door, Jerome rested his head on her arm and whispered "Goodnight. I love you, Mummy."

That almost broke her heart. She'd known the boy just two days and he already loved her and thought of her as a mum. "I love you, baby."

As they cuddled up in her bed that night, Jerome snuggled into her arms and smiled contentedly. He murmured in his sleep "My mummy."

She felt a tear slip down her cheek. "Oh, my baby." The next morning, she was making breakfast and little Jerome stumbled in.

"Mummy?" He asked, half asleep.

Trudy cooed and ran for him. "Hello, baby boy. Good morning, Mummy's little darling."

He nestled up to her and let her hold him. She made the breakfast, holding him close. Victor walked in and snapped "You, girl, where's the breakfast?!"

Trudy pointed her fish slicer at a plate and glass of orange juice. "There it is. Here, Jerome, baby, does you want some nice bacon, too?"

"Yes, pwease, Mummy." He smiled up at her. She'd intentionally worn a pretty pastel blue dress and no makeup.

"That's my baby." She grinned at him.

They had breakfast together, enjoying their time together. Jerome said "Mummy, do you love anyone? Speci-pally?" Jerome asked.

"Hmm. I suppose. I love you, but you're like my baby boy. If you meant in a relationship sense, only a fantasy. Come on, lovie, eat up."

"Why, Mummy?" Jerome asked, shoving more food in.

Trudy smiled. "Because, baby, Mummy's taking you to the shops. We're buying you a whole new wardrobe."

Jerome grinned. "I really love you, Mummy." He told her, finishing his breakfast and climbing up on her lap for a hug. He liked snuggling up to her.

Victor stormed in. "Trudy Rehman, you better get that foul thing out of my house today."

"I'm taking Jerome to the shops for new clothes. But I will not take Corbiere." She told him.

Victor snarled and hit her in the head. "You useless girl. Take the boy. Tonight, I want you to meet me by the cellar door."

She took Jerome to the stores, shopping like their lives depended on it. Jerome got tired and lay on the floor, whining. Trudy hissed "Jerome! People are staring, my lovie. Get up!"

He whined loudly. "No, Mummy!"

She sighed. "Come on, hon, let Mum carry you. Come here." She scooped up Jerome, who caught one whiff of her perfume and snuggled up against her.

"Nice, Mummy." Jerome whispered.

People in the store smiled at them. An old woman looked at them and whispered to her friend. "Unmarried mother. Young people today, all of them, little wastes of space. My grandson wouldn't dream of leaving a woman and his child."

The friend said "She's one of those foreigners. You can't trust them."

Trudy whipped around. "Excuse me? Do you have a problem? Because if you do, you can tell me to my face rather than behind my back."

The old woman said "No, ma'am, no problem here."

She raised her eyebrow, but carried on. She muttered something disgusting, something Jerome would never forget, even if he got Alzheimer's disease. He innocently asked "Mummy, what does that mean?"

"You're far too young to know." Trudy told him, her tone dark.

That night, Trudy tucked Jerome up. "Mummy, why aren't you getting in bed?"

"I'll be up later, love. You'll wake up and I'll be next to you." She told him lovingly.

She kissed his forehead and went downstairs. Victor threw her into the cellar and began to beat her up. She sobbed, but allowed the pain. She'd been there since she was seven and Victor had hated her. She'd run away from home, driving her loving parents crazy with worry. Victor had abused her for eighteen long years. He snarled "You're going to be married, child. I've arranged it all. You're going to marry a twenty nine year old millionaire."

"I'm going to what?!" She yelled.

"You heard. And you'd better do as he tells you."

The next morning, a shaking and hurt Trudy made breakfast, when Jerome stumbled in. "Mummy? Mummy?"

"Yeah, honey." She replied distractedly.

Jerome wrapped his arms around her leg, sat on her foot and snuggled her. "My Mummy." He whispered.

Trudy sobbed, giving up. "Baby boy, come here. Mum needs some cuddles."

He let her hug him, snuggling up against her. "Why you sad, Mummy?"

"Oh, honey. Listen to me. Victor's going to get rid of me. He's making me move away, my lovie." She sobbed.

Jerome gasped. "I no want him send you away!"

Trudy cried. "I know!" She wailed. "I don't want to leave!" Trudy knew that every moment she had with Jerome Clarke was precious, that he was going to grow up, use her real name, never cuddle her or kiss her cheeks or grab onto her leg and stay there again. She knew she wouldn't be as special to him when he got older. She had to treasure every moment. Every single nanosecond she had, she was treasuring, carving into her heart.

Jerome said "My Mummy, you're going nowhere."

Trudy sobbed, clinging to the small boy, her one sole reason for existence. "I hope not, baby. I love you, hon."

"I love you, Mummy. Only you." He told her, snuggling in.

She sighed. "I love you, baby." That hug was one she wanted to last forever. "Promise me you'll never grow up, baby boy. Promise me that whatever you do, you'll always be my baby." She whispered.

"I promise, Mummy." Jerome whispered back.

Jerome was her baby and she never wanted that to change. She wanted to snuggle him close and keep that moment forever. She closed her eyes and savoured the warm feeling she got. Her heart warmed and broke at the same time. Victor walked in, followed by the man Trudy was supposed to marry. He said "Hey, man, you never told me about her kid."

"No worries, Mr Rutter. She's not his mother." Victor told him.

The man smiled. "She's pretty."

Jerome said "Hands off, she's mine."

Trudy chuckled, hugging Jerome. "Yeah, I've been claimed. This sweet child owns me, sorry." She smiled, enjoying her charge's cuddles.

Victor pulled Jerome away. "Mr Rutter, she's all yours."

Jerome fought him while the man sat down opposite Trudy. That night, Victor wouldn't let Jerome go to Trudy. "I want her!" Jerome shrieked.

"She's with a gentleman, you can't be in there." Victor told him.

A horrified scream came from Trudy's room and she ran into Victor's office, snatched Jerome and ran for her life, carrying him with her. "Baby boy, don't complain, we're leaving them there. It's time to move in to our own home, baby." She told him.

Forever began that day and she'd make sure Jerome Clarke grew up to be a wonderful man. She smiled as he fell asleep in her arms. She was going to change his surname to match hers. He murmured "My mummy."

She smiled "My baby." She was determined to give him a good life.


	2. Chapter 2

*I OWN ONLY PLOT*

*Trudy's POV*

I woke up and saw Jerome sleeping in my arms. I brushed a tender kiss on his forehead. I gently got up and wrapped myself in my robe, then walked downstairs. I made our breakfast, happily humming to myself. Ten minutes after I'd dished out our food, my sleepy young Jerome stumbled in. "Mummy? Where are you?" He asked sleepily.

"Here, love. Come here, my sweet child." I scooped him up and hugged him. "Did you have a nice sleep?"

"Yes, Mummy. I wakeded up in the night and saw you sleeping. You really pretty even when you sleep." He mumbled, burying his little face on my chest sleepily.

I kissed his lovely dark blond curls. "Aw, baby. Here, my darling, breakfast."

He smiled and sat at the table. There was enough room to comfortable seat four, but with just us, we had plenty of room. He woke up a little and said "Mummy, I heared a girl yesterday across the road, talking to a tall man. She called him her daddy. What is a daddy?"

"Aw, sweetie. In a lot of families, there's a mummy and daddy and children." I smiled. "A daddy helps a mummy look after the babies and he goes to work to get money for the family. Although, in a family like ours, it's just mummy or just daddy. And the little ones usually get put in school or in the care of a babysitter. And in a small family like this, it's important that your needs are seen to."

Jerome asked "Are you going to take me to school?"

"Not just yet, dearie. Now, love, we have to get food in today. And you need new clothes, dearie."

Jerome gave me the sweetest dimpled smile in the world. "We're going shopping?" He asked happily.

"Yes we are, my love! We're going to go shopping, baby!"

He cheered happily. I would be sure to give him the best of everything.


	3. Chapter 3 (VERY SHORT)

*I OWN ONLY PLOT*

*Trudy's POV*

My baby had everything he'd asked for in the shops, chewing on some sweets. He said "Mummy, I love you."

I smiled. "Aw honey, I love you, too."

*Jerome's POV*

I looked at the pretty lady I was so proud to call my mummy. She opened the door to our new home. She cradled me, lovingly. "Baby, listen to Mum. I have some news for you." She whispered, her massive eyes glowing.

"What's wrong, Mummy?" I asked her.

"I bought cookies!" She smiled and handed me a bag. It was full of cookies.

I smiled and hugged her. "Mummy, you're the best!" I squeezed her gently, offering cookies. She never ate any.

We cuddled up in bed that night and slept. She murmured "My baby boy. I'll miss you when you've grown up and left me."

I kissed her nose gently, adoring her. For a mummy, she was so pretty. I loved her, she was perfect.


	4. Chapter 4

*I OWN ONLY PLOT*

Jerome watched Trudy as she swept the kitchen floor from the potato peelings, their pot of corned beef hash simmering on the stove. She sang softly, her voice quiet. He listened, enchanted by the softness and melody. He watched her lips, saw the soft glitter in her eyes. He loved to see her so happy. He softly whispered to her "You have such a pretty voice, Mummy."

She looked at the small, blond boy, a loving smile on her lips. "Thank you, honey. Come here, my little man, give Mum a hug."

Jerome spared no time, just shot into her warm arms and cuddled her. "You're soft and squishy, Mummy."

She chuckled. "Is that my baby's way of saying I'm fat?" Trudy teased lightly.

Jerome gasped. "No, Mummy! I'm not saying you're fat!" The five year old boy's sea blue eyes widened, his small mouth pouting. He seemed horrified that she thought that.

She giggled. "Oh, baby, don't you know when I'm teasing? I know you weren't saying that, sweetie!"

Jerome didn't understand. She never teased like that. Trudy usually made soft jabs, saying that she wished he was just a little less bouncy. He said "I sowwy, Mama." He added a little baby talk in there for her.

Trudy bit her lip. Jerome was about to make her cry. She whispered "Don't be sorry, my love. My beautiful baby boy."

"Beautiful is a girl term, Mummy." Jerome told her.

Trudy whispered "Oh, OK. You're a handsome young man, aren't you? No bouncing baby boy."

Jerome felt terrible. He loved being treated like her baby. "No, no, Mummy, I'm still a little baby. Goo goo." He cooed.

She wanted to cry. He looked at her like a baby would. "Aw, my lovely child." She whispered, forcing her tears away.

"Goo goo. Mama! Mama! Mama!" He gurgled at her.

Trudy wanted to cry. It tormented her to think that Jerome only wanted to be her baby and she had to put him in a school while she did part time work. When she had a place for him, she took him in. He'd just celebrated his sixth birthday, she'd had his name legally changed, adopted him and she was so upset about leaving him. She whispered "OK, my darling, will you be good?"

"Mummy, why are we here?" Jerome asked.

It crushed her to reply "Because, darling, I need money to feed you. And I have to work for money. And I can't take you to work. And you need to be looked after. I wish it was different, sweetie, but it isn't. And I'm coming for you at lunch. OK?"

Jerome looked scared. "You won't be with me?"

That really hurt her. "I'm so sorry, my love. But I can't stay." She told him.

He looked into her guilty, apologetic dark eyes. He felt awful for her. "OK, Mummy, as long as you come back, like you said."

Trudy kissed Jerome's forehead gently. "That's my little man. Go on, honey. I'll be here for you when you get out, dear."

He kissed her cheek, quickly hugged her and ran inside before he could see her cry. A tear slipped down her light brown cheek, making her feel more upset than ever. She walked off, ready to go to work. Jerome stood in a brightly coloured room with lots of little children. A woman with long, blonde hair walked over. She said "Hey, sweetie, what's your name?"

"Mummy told me not to tell strangers my name. And I am not your sweetie." He told her stubbornly.

She glanced through her register. "You're... Jerome Rehman?" She asked.

He rolled his eyes. "What of it? I'm only here until Mummy comes for me."

"Look, until your mum comes, you're here and in my care. Now, get over there, it's time for finger painting and play dough."

Jerome hated when his nails got dirty. "I'd sooner just sit in the corner until Mummy comes for me."

The teacher tried her hardest to get him to play. But he firmly resolved to stay in his corner. Eventually, a small girl with raven hair walked over, her skin a light brown. She reminded Jerome of Trudy. "Hi." She smiled. "Want to play house with me?"

He looked at her. "Maybe. What's your name?" He asked.

"I'm Mara Jaffray. What's yours?" She smiled at him.

He softly whispered "I'm Jerome Rehman. I like you, Miss Mara."

They went into the playhouse. Mara played a housewife, sweeping up and cuddling a doll. "Pretty baby!" She cooed.

Jerome marvelled at her. "You look like my mummy."

That lunchtime, all the parents came in, taking their kids. Trudy was just walking in as Mara left. Jerome thought he'd been abandoned. He heard Trudy's light tread, then her gentle voice asking "Did Jerome get on OK?"

"He didn't want to do anything, until Mara Jaffray asked him to play house. They didn't leave that playhouse at all. I think he's still in there." The teacher said.

Trudy grinned. "Thanks. Jerome, love?" She asked, eager to see him again.

He didn't respond. The teacher opened the door, revealing Jerome. He wasn't looking at them. His teacher said "Jerome, your mum's here."

He shrugged. Trudy reached in, pulled him out gently and put him on her hip, clinging to him. "Thanks, Miss Mitchell. See you tomorrow."

"Bye." She smiled.

Jerome squirmed out of Trudy's grip. She grabbed his hand. "Hey, what's the matter, baby?"

"You said you'd come here at lunch, but all the others were gone when you arrived." He coldly told her, his voice hateful.

She sighed. "Baby, I was five minutes late because I got held up at the crossing. But you don't have to worry. Listen, I ran to the school to get you." She told him, crushed. "I wish I hadn't had to leave you."

He looked at her, seeing a shiny teardrop slide down Trudy's cheek. He stood in front of her with his small arms up. She picked him up and cuddled him. He was really scared from seeing her crying. "Mummy, don't cry. I'm sorry I was bad."

She let out a tiny sob. "Aw, honey, don't be sorry. You weren't bad. I'm never going to do that again."

Jerome whispered "Could I cuddle you?"

Trudy let out a very small whimper. "Oh, darling, you cuddle up, no need to ask me."

He snuggled her. "I missed you, Mummy."

"Ah. Now, my little love. I hear you made a new little friend." She grinned.

Jerome shrugged. "Miss Mara isn't a friend, she just played house."

"Oh. My little man has a girlfriend!" She squealed, giggling.

"Ew! No, I don't!" Jerome exclaimed, burying his face on her shoulder.

Trudy laughed. "OK, OK, my darling. You've not got a girlfriend."

He smiled. "Good. I don't want any other girlfriend. I have you, Mummy."

She smiled at him. "I love you, Jerome. You're always going to be my baby."


	5. Chapter 5: (Contains little Jara Fluff)

*I OWN ONLY PLOT*

The next day, Trudy said "Be good, honey." She managed to get a quick kiss on his cheek before he ran into the nursery building. "See you!" She called, laughing lightly, even though she felt a crushing sadness under her elation that he finally had a friend of his own age. She felt like he was growing too quickly for her. She was still in the times when he used to cry out in the night and clamber under her duvet. The night before, he'd told her that he wanted to stay in his own bed. She hadn't liked it, but she'd let him. It'd been the saddest thing she'd ever known when she woke up and he wasn't next to her.

Jerome was content. He found little Mara, playing with a doll. "Hello?" He asked timidly.

Mara looked up and her whole face lit up, glowing. "Jerome!" She smiled. "Are you coming to play house again?"

"If you don't mind." He smiled.

Mara grinned. "Well, here, take baby. I have to get the breakfast on."

They played in the house for a while, then the teacher said "Kids! Time to come and sing our goodbye song."

Mara kissed the baby doll's forehead. "Goodnight, baby."

Jerome kissed the baby too. "Goodnight, little lamb."

Outside, just after the song, when the teacher wasn't looking, Jerome and Mara shared a quick one-second kiss. The other kids gasped. One small, fiery girl exclaimed "You kissed! Now you're going to have a baby!"

Mara laughed. "We've got one!" She told her. "Jerome, go get the baby."

The other kids gaped at them. Jerome ran to get the doll. He brought it to Mara, who tenderly took it. "Here he is!"

The fiery little girl gasped. "Oh, my God!" She gaped at the baby doll.

Mara said "His name is Jeremy, which is almost like Jerome." She was so proud of her little doll.

Her mum walked in. "Mara, love, you need to put dolly down, now."

Mara gave the doll to Jerome. "Could you put him back to bed?" She asked.

"Of course." Jerome smiled and took the doll into the playhouse. He put the doll back and kissed him. "Sleep well, little lamb." He repeated Trudy's night time words to it, pretending he was its father.

Trudy scooped him up and kissed his cheeks as soon as he was out of the playhouse. "Hi, baby!" She cooed.

"No, no, no! I'm all growned up now!" He told her. "I have a girlfriend! And that's our baby in there!"

Trudy's happy mood flooded down to sadness. "That's lovely, sweetie! Oh, I feel so old now."

"Why?" Jerome asked.

Trudy whispered dramatically "I'm a granny now!"

Jerome looked confused. "What's one of them?"

"Well, when a child has a child, that child become a parent. And that parent's mum and dad become grandparents. Since I don't have a partner, you don't have a dad. So your baby has two grannies and one grandpa. Mara's mummy and daddy are granny and grandpa to your baby and I'm granny to your baby." She explained. Jerome just looked at her.

After a few minutes, when they were on the crossing, he asked "So how does that make you old?"

"Well, you're all grown up now, you're a man. And that makes Mum really old. Should I get a stick now?" She asked.

"No. I don't want you to be old, Mummy. It's a game Mara and I play. The baby's not real, it's a dolly." He told her, worried sick.

Trudy sighed. "Oh, phew! There was me, thinking I'd missed out on all your life and now you were all grown up with a girlfriend and baby! There's you, still my little six year old boy. Oh, dearie, I think I'm losing my mind." She joked.

Jerome said "I'll help you look for it, Mummy."

She cooed. "Sweetie, do you want me to carry you?"

He made big eyes. "Could you?" He asked timidly.

Trudy beamed. "No problem." She scooped him up and cuddled him.

Jerome asked "Mummy, can you really lose your mind?"

She giggled. "I can go a bit loopy, but my brain isn't going anywhere."

"Where's Abitloopy?" Jerome asked.

She gave him a fake stern look. "Are you joking around, my little man?"

He nodded. She laughed. Jerome's bright little face darkened. "Do I have to be a man, Mummy?" He asked.

"You'll have to be one day." She told him.

Jerome looked disappointed. "But if I grow into a man, Mummy, I won't be able to be your baby. No more sitting on your lap or being carried. No more singing or stories or cookies or naps together." He whispered, ready to cry.

Trudy had carried him halfway back to their house by the time she'd gathered up the courage to say anything. "Listen, when you get bigger, you won't want any of that. You'll be yelling at me to stop showing you up when I drop you off at school and kiss your cheeks and tell you to be good. You'll tell me off for offering you cookies when your friends are about. You'll have a real girlfriend and you'll tell me off for walking in on you when you're kissing her."

Jerome's little face darkened even more. "Mummy, when a girl and boy kiss, does the girl have a baby?"

"Well, when they get older, like when they're teenagers. Then they have to be very, very careful." Trudy told him. "Why do you ask?"

"Because... I kissed Mara. And this little girl, Tricia, she says that Mara would have a baby." Jerome confessed.

Trudy laughed, which wasn't what Jerome was expecting. He was expecting her to be utterly furious. She chuckled "Honey, she's too young to be a mum yet! I mean, when she's grown up, she might be. But look, she'll have to develop a bit first. Right now, she's just like you, but a little different. When she gets bigger, she'll have very different tendencies. She'll bleed once a month, just like I do. And that'll be when she's ready for babies and she'll have to be very careful of who she kisses!"

Jerome curled up against Trudy and whispered "Will I bleed, too?"

Trudy chuckled. "No, lovie. You'll go through changes, too, but none of them will make you bleed. You'll get growth spurts and eat us out of everything, your lovely little voice will get deeper, you'll find girls interesting in a different way, you'll think I'm always in your way and that you never get what you want."

He rested his cheek on her arm. "I love you, Mummy. I don't think I want to grow up."

Trudy cuddled him. "You don't have to grow up just yet. You can be my baby for as long as you like."

He snuggled in her arms and thought of how kind she was. "Mummy, can I stay in your room tonight? It's lonely in my room." He whispered, terrified.

"Of course, honey. Don't worry about asking me, just jump right in." She told him, kissing his forehead.


	6. Chapter 6:(VERY SAD! YOU WERE WARNED!)

*I OWN ONLY PLOT*

It was so dark in Jerome's little room. He wanted Trudy. He needed her warm arms around his tiny frame, the sweet smell of her perfume, the sense of security she gave him. He loved her, he needed that love from her, the reassurance that she still adored him. He got out of bed and padded through the house to her bedroom. She was sound asleep. He almost backed out, but a creak from the floor woke her. She flicked on her lamp and saw a dazzled Jerome. "Jerome! Sweet child, what are you doing up now?" She asked, her kind voice resonating.

"I was scared, Mumma." He whispered, breaking down in tears.

Touched and a little upset, Trudy got out of her bed and lifted Jerome into her arms. "Oh, darling! Oh, my love! Sweetie, what scared you?"

Jerome wailed "Not being with you!"

It broke Trudy's heart to hear her baby say that. She grabbed a box of tissues and sat him on her lap, pulling him off her shoulder. She wiped him up as he cried, softly cooing at him. When his small sobs finally calmed, she kissed him. "Jerome, you stay here with me. OK? Just lie with Mummy. You're under no pressure to stay in your own bed. You can sleep in Mummy's room until you're two hundred if you like." She told him.

He took it as a joke, smiling a little. He watched her lips turn up in a sweet, motherly smile. "Mummy, will you always be my mummy?"

"Yes, I will, sweetie." Trudy told him. She loved him more than she wanted her own life. Her favourite thing to do was be Jerome's mum. She needed him and he needed her. She knew that one day, Jerome would be curious about who his real mum was, why she left him and what Trudy's role was. That day, she hoped, was in the very distant future. She only wanted Jerome as a son.

* * *

Just after his seventh birthday, Jerome was in Year One. (For an American, that'll be first or second grade.) He was having lunch with his best friend, young Mara Jaffray. She had turned out to be quite smart. She'd come to his home for tea and had been taught how to make cookies by Trudy, who had set them both to mixing the cookie dough and cutting it out. Mara said "Your mummy's not married like mine. My mum says that it's wrong for her to have to work, she should be at home, like a good woman, keeping house and looking after her babies."

Jerome said "Mummy's not really my mummy, she's adopted me. And it isn't wrong of her to have a job. She's a great housekeeper, a perfect mummy and she's a fantastic cook. She's a multitasking mum."

Mara sighed. "I know that, but my mum doesn't know that. She thinks it's wrong that you still sleep in her bed and cuddle up with her."

Jerome whispered "Your mum doesn't know my mum. My mum's kind and special. She has rights to decide if she wants to be married."

After lunch, during class, learning about multiplication, Jerome began to feel sick. He went five minutes before throwing up all over the floor. His teacher called the nurse, who ran in and checked Jerome's temperature. "He has a fever, Mrs Hayes. Call his mother in."

Trudy was there in record time. "What's wrong with my baby!" She yelled, bursting in and seizing him in a cuddle.

"We don't know. He was sick in the classroom and has a fever. Mrs Hayes says he complained of tiredness this morning."

"He complained about that to me, too. Aw, Jerome, honey, you're shivering. Oh, gosh. You're burning up, you're shivering... I have to take you to the hospital. Right now." Trudy cuddled him, taking off her coat and wrapping Jerome's tiny body in it. He looked up, his huge eyes dull.

"Mummy, I'm scared."

"Don't be. I'll let some doctors have a look at you, see if they can find out why you're not well, love."

He'd gotten noticeably pale in the last few weeks, but Trudy had given him iron supplements for that. He said "Mummy, my tummy hurts."

She gasped, putting the symptoms together and fearing the worst. She ran him to the hospital. She and Jerome spent a week there. One evening, while Trudy watched her slowly thinning son sleep, a doctor said "Ms Rehman, I need a word."

She kissed her son's forehead. "Back in a sec, baby." She whispered. She followed the doctor out. "What is it?"

"We have his test results back. And there is no easy way to say this."

Trudy's sharp mind had it all together in no time. "You mean he's..." She gasped, her hand over her lips.


	7. Chapter 7:(Depressing! YOU WERE WARNED!)

*I OWN ONLY PLOT*

She didn't quite know how she ended up crying on the doctor's shoulder. All she knew was her baby was terminally ill. "He... has... leukemia!" She wailed.

"I'm sorry. We'll do everything we can to try to ensure that he survives." He stroked her back gently while she cried.

"He's my baby! He has to live!" She sobbed.

Another doctor walked out. "Ms Rehman? Your son's awake."

Trudy walked in, drying her eyes. "Hi, baby." She smiled.

"Mummy, I know you better than that. You can't fool me. What's wrong?" Jerome's dull eyes met her teary ones.

Trudy hated lying. She bit back her tears and whispered "Honey, promise me you won't get scared."

Jerome looked up at her. "I don't get scared, Mummy. Just tell me."

Trudy let out a weak chuckle. "We both know you do get scared. You come into my bed and snuggle up because..." She broke down again. "Oh, baby, I'm sorry, I don't mean to cry. It's just..."

"Mummy, spit it out." Jerome told her, his tone firm.

She sobbed, hard, swallowed and looked away. "I can't tell you. I'm sorry, honey. You deserve to know."

He said "Mummy, I heard you crying in the hall. The doctors didn't know I was awake. I know I have leukemia, I just don't know what it is."

Brokenly, Trudy sobbed "It's cancer, darling. You have cancer. Your doctor, he says it's more common in young children than in adults. And they're going... going to do everything in their power to ensure that you survive and win this battle against cancer."

Jerome said "It could kill me?"

Trudy sobbed. "Oh, hon, I wish I could say no." She felt depressed. "What kind of mum am I? I couldn't see it until it was too late." She cried.

"Don't blame yourself, Mummy. It isn't you." Jerome told her.

She looked into those once-glowing blue eyes. "My baby. You're just the man I always hoped you'd be. Even if you're tiny." She kissed his forehead, ignoring his cold sweat. She hugged him, sobbing.

"I love you, Mummy." He told her.

"I love you, baby." She sobbed.

They fell asleep like that, a tearful mum and a brave little boy. The next day, his treatment began.


	8. Chapter 8:(A little happier)

*I OWN ONLY PLOT*

After a week of treatment, they scheduled an operation to try to remove some of the lymph nodes. Trudy was the terrified one, Jerome was calm and collected. He kissed her cheeks as they took him down to the theatre. "Trust me, Mummy. Trust the doctors. I promise that I'll be out, alive and totally cancer free."

She smiled. "I hope so, baby. Be good." She kissed his cheeks.

He smiled at her. While he was in the theatre, Trudy needed to loo. She slipped across the hall and crashed into someone. A more masculine voice chuckled as she hit the floor. A hand gripped hers and helped her up. "You ought watch where you're going, Miss. You'll end up hurt. Are you alright?"

She looked up into the man's dark eyes. "I was on my way to the bathroom. Thanks for... um... helping me up." She blushed.

He smiled. "Not a problem. Why are you here? You look like a healthy woman."

"My son." She told him, her voice breaking. The simple thought of Jerome in that operating theatre broke her heart. "He's... got leukemia."

The man frowned sympathetically. "Aw. I'm sorry. I hope he recovers. How old is he?"

Trudy didn't like this conversation. "He's seven. He's in the theatre as we speak. My poor little baby."

He hugged her, not really caring that they'd just met. She sobbed in his arms. He said "I don't know how advanced it is, but I'm sure that he'll be just as strong as you. He'll take lessons off his mum."

She sobbed "I hope you're right. He's so little. What evil force would do this to a tiny child with such a lovely life ahead?"

When Jerome was out of the theatre, the doctor told Trudy "He still has to have chemotherapy, but he has more of a chance now. Be gentle with him, he's just had a painful operation."

She softly sighed. "Of course. My poor baby."

* * *

Jerome was let out after his body had healed. He had to go back every week for chemotherapy and all his curling dark blond hair was falling out. Trudy saved it, loving the silky softness. He loved Trudy more than life itself. He wasn't pleased with the loss of those curls his mum spent so long on in a morning. She'd spend a full thirty minutes, washing it, drying it and combing it out in to the special curliness he loved. She looked depressed, but forced up a smile. "It's OK, honey, it'll grow back and you'll have your beautiful hair bouncing about in no time." She comforted him, holding him close.

"But I look terrible without my hair." He complained.

"Come with Mum. I have some lovely things upstairs." She told him.

He nestled in her arms, adoring his mum. She was trying to make the most of him, in case he didn't make it. Every second she held him in her arms felt precious. She loved every moment she had with that tiny boy. She adored every second she could see those bright blue eyes. She loved tripping over his cuddly toys, stepping barefoot on his Lego, slipping on his cars, sitting on his whoopee cushion, getting cream pied and being tackled when she walked out of the bathroom by clingfilm and her beloved son. Things that used to irritate her, she laughed at and cuddled her baby. One night, late on, he asked "Mummy?"

She whispered "What's the matter, dear?" She'd taken to staying up very late to be there in case he needed her.

Jerome whispered "If something goes wrong and the cancer makes me die, will you make a promise with me?"

Trudy kissed his forehead, holding back tears. "I'll promise you anything."

He whispered "Promise me that you'll only cry for thirty minutes, find yourself a nice man who'll look after you, then have some babies to make you happy when I can't? Please?"

A crushed Trudy smiled sadly at her son, forcing up her smile. "I promise, darling. But you better survive, because no man will ever want a heartbroken woman whose heart belongs to her son. You're my best friend, Jerome."

"And you're my best friend, Mummy." Jerome told her, snuggling closer and accidentally kneeing her in the stomach. "Sorry, Mummy."

"It's OK, dear." She whispered, pressing him to her.

She loved Jerome and he was so precious to her.

* * *

A month later, Jerome was allowed off the chemotherapy and he could stay with Trudy. He was much better. He nestled in her arms and said "I love you. You stayed with me when my friends didn't want to be around me."

"Aww. I'll always be here for you. And if they abandoned you, they weren't real friends."

Jerome smiled at her. He still adored being cradled in her arms. His head was getting soft, feathery down on it. He said "I never want to leave you."


	9. Chapter 9:(Jara fluff, kinda sad)

*I OWN ONLY PLOT*

Just a week later, Jerome was in class. Trudy was at work, when her mobile rang. "Yes? Who is it? Does this have something to do with Jerome?"

"Yes, your son's having a fit. We need you to come here right away."

Trudy was out of there. Her boss called "Hey! Where are you going?"

She yelled "My baby's having a fit! I've got to get to the school!"

In the school, she got to a limp Jerome. The nurse said "He's alive, but the paramedics are coming."

Trudy clung to her son. "It's going to be alright, Jerome."

* * *

In the hospital, the doctor walked up to a worried Trudy, who was holding her baby boy's hand while he was unconscious. He said "Miss, his leukemia's too advanced. It's untreatable. It was too advanced for the chemotherapy to work. I'm sorry."

Trudy looked upset, scared and shocked. "No... how will I tell him?"

"I don't know, Miss Rehman."

Jerome was dreaming of his mother, seeing her happy and singing. He woke to see her eyes red and sad. "Mummy?"

"What is it, my love?"

"Why were you crying?" Jerome asked.

"The doctor gave me some very bad news, darling."

"What is it? Oh, Mummy, I know that the cancer's back. The doctors said it. I know I'm going to die. But you know what, Mummy?"

She looked into her son's big, blue eyes. "Tell me what."

"There's a man who walked past me and he said he knew you. He said that you're kind, pretty and that I'm lucky to have a mummy like you."

Suddenly, the door opened and a tiny girl ran up to the bed. "Jerome?" She asked, from behind a massive bunch of flowers.

Her parents walked in after her. He smiled. "Mara! Hi."

She reached up. "I brought you flowers. Are you OK?"

"Not really. But hey, I'm good to talk." He smiled.

Mara said "I don't know what's wrong with you, Jerome, but I don't like it. I can't get used to you only having light hair."

He smiled at her. "I can't get used to it, either."

Trudy turned to Mara's parents. "Hi. Thanks for coming. How are you?"

"Concerned about your son. He and our daughter are so close. And how about you? This must be so hard." Mrs Jaffray looked at her red eyes and tutted sadly.

"It's difficult, yes. I appreciate your concern. Jerome's strong, though. He could survive it yet." She smiled.

Mrs Jaffray smiled, too. "I hope so. Mara's been pestering me about seeing him. And I am honoured to be in the presence of the lovely lady who gave the world and our Mara this adorable boy."

"Where is she? I've adopted Jerome." Trudy hushed her voice a little.

"Ah. Oh, my God, how difficult this must be for you."

Mr Jaffray watched his daughter. Mara said "So you made her promise to get married and have babies?"

"I don't want her lonely. She should be happy." Jerome glanced at his mother, seeing her talk in a hushed voice.

Mara sighed. "I wish you weren't ill. We could have grown up together."

Jerome smiled. "You just helped make my life better." He told her. "And trust me, I will be watching you from... wherever I end up."

She smiled, reached up and clambered onto the bed, nestled in and cuddled him. "Well, for now, we can just cuddle."

He hugged her and they fell asleep, nestled up. Jerome dreamed of his mum, imagining her with a small boy of his own age, giving him all of her attention and cooing. He walked up and tapped her shoulder. "Mummy?"

She batted him away. "I have a better son." She told him, then totally ignored him.

He woke, Mara gone, her parents gone. Trudy remained, clinging to him. "Mummy? Would you manage to replace me?" He asked her.

"No, baby. Never." She told him.

He slept, nestling in her warm arms.

* * *

The next morning, Trudy woke, clinging to Jerome. She spent three hours watching him. But she noticed something when she kissed his forehead to wake him. Quietly, she rested a hand on his shoulder and gently shook him. "Jerome?" No response. She was used to deep sleeping when it came to Jerome. But something inside her dropped and she feared the worst. "Jerome?" She asked, her voice totally hollow.


	10. 10: (STARTS OUT DEPRESSING!)

*I OWN ONLY PLOT*

"It's too late." The doctor told her.

Trudy couldn't cry. She was past that. Long past tears, long past everything. Her will to live, her will to do anything had vanished. She remembered her promise to her son. Her last promise to him. She just whispered "Can I have a moment with him?"

The doctor nodded and left her with her son. Trudy pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Jerome Rehman, you have been the centre of my universe for a long time. I would never give you up. I remember the night you first asked me for anything. And ever since then, you've been the world to me. If only the forces hadn't damaged you, darling. But whatever may happen, I will stick to the last promise I ever made to you. And I only want you to be happy, my love. It'll be so odd, not waking up to see your innocent little face and those darling blue eyes in front of me. I love you, baby boy. I always have and I always will."

She pressed a gentle kiss to his cheeks, his nose, his forehead and a very light kiss on his lips. The doctor walked back in. "Are you OK? A stupid question, considering the circumstances, but are you?"

"No. I don't think I ever will be again." She sighed.

* * *

Alone in the house she'd used to share with Jerome, she looked around. His Lego spilled all over the floor, his dirty clothes strewn across her floor, the room stinking of his stale orange juice, the table wearing his breakfast from a week before. Up the stairs, all his toy cars spilled everywhere, his action figures on the landing, his building blocks, more Lego, clothes, the odd shoe. In her room, broken lipsticks lay on her floor from his last tantrum, the bed a mess from the last time she fell out because Jerome was having a nightmare. Her carpet makeup stained. Jerome's room smelled of baby boy and toys. She sighed. She saw the lump of clingfilm from Jerome's prank, the talcum powder clumps all over her bathroom, Jerome's bare footprints in it. She sobbed softly. His tiny toothbrush in the mug, right next to hers. His own tiny bottle of body spray, just so he could pretend to be grown up. His special shampoo, his baby bubble bath soap. His favourite teddy, lay in the messy bed. The dress he usually insisted Trudy wore. His favourite pair of her heels, making her laugh while he pranced about the room in them. The messy kitchen, filled with his toys from his early morning games, the bits of sausage and bacon he'd dropped, the heaped washing that she hadn't got around to doing. She tenderly sobbed again, a single tear escaping her eye. She saw her baby everywhere, wishing he'd see her. She saw the past. Him and her, playing with the Lego. Watching him run in her heels. Seeing him trip and get bruised. Kissing his injury, singing to him to calm him. She got to cleaning. She wanted to make sure that it was clean. She tidied his room, but preserved everything exactly the same. She tidied her room, neatening it all up. She didn't like to be alone. She walked out after she'd cleaned up. She was out and about. Nowhere to go, just to be out. She smacked into someone. "Hi." A very familiar voice said.

She looked up to see the man who had comforted her in the hospital. "Hi. Sorry, did I hurt you?" Trudy asked.

"No. How is your little boy?" He asked. Trudy's lip trembled and he sighed. "I'm sorry. Come here." He hugged her, reminding her of Jerome's last few weeks.

She sighed, trying to stop herself from crying. "You're so kind to me and I don't even know your name."

He got a sniff of her. "Well, that makes two of us. What's your name?"

"My name's Trudy. What's yours?" She asked him, afraid of crying.

He kissed the top of her head. "Jasper. Here, Miss Trudy, would you like to come for a coffee? We could have a chat."

She nodded. "I'd like that."

* * *

Thirteen years later, a twelve year old boy ran into his mother and father's room. "Mum, Dad, come on! It's time for school!"

"Five more minutes!" Mrs Choudhary groaned, shoving a pillow over her head.

Her husband laughed. "Come on, my grouchy little angel." He shook her gently.

She mumbled "I don't wanna. Leave me be."

Their ten year old daughter trudged in. "Is Mum being difficult again?"

"Yeah." Her older brother laughed.

The ten year old seized her mother and dragged her out of bed. "Get up, Mum!"

"Jamie, you're a pain in a morning!" Mrs Choudhary groaned, shoving on her robe and tying her curls back. "You two, OUT!" She playfully chased her oldest kids out of her bedroom.

Her husband smiled at her. "I love how you hate mornings. It's cute."

She pointed her hairbrush at him. "Do not. Ever. Say that. To me." She told him, her eyes still half-closed.

He chuckled. "OK. Look, I'm gonna go shower. See you in a bit, babe."

His wife sighed and brushed her thick curls. Suddenly, a small voice said "Mummy, the baby's crying."

Trudy groaned. "Why did I have so many children?!"

She stopped dead when she stood in the hall. A tall, muscular man was looking down at her, a warm smile on his face. "Remember me?"

She gaped. "Jerome?" She asked softly.

"That's me. Hi. Hey, look, your kids. They're awesome!"

"No, they're not! They wake me up!" She grouched.

"You got old fast." Jerome's spirit teased.

"I am not OLD!" Trudy snapped.

He laughed. "I dunno. Is that a wrinkle?"

"Even dead, you're still mean." She winked, then began to cry. "Sorry, baby. I wish I was able to help."

"You couldn't help. It wasn't your fault."

"Why does everyone tell me that?" She asked.

"Tell you what, babe?" Jasper asked.

"Never mind." Trudy saw that Jerome had vanished again. But this time, she felt whole. "It's better now."

"Whatever floats your boat, babe." He shrugged. And the day started properly, Trudy enjoying every single second of it. Because now, she had Jerome with her forever.


	11. AUTHOR'S NOTE

AUTHOR'S NOTE!

_OK, I was thinking I might do a sequel to this story. If you have any ideas, please do not be afraid to message me or tell me in a review. I'll try to do it all. _

_If you have anything you'd particularly like to see in a sequel or another story, just let me know. :)_

_Thanks for your support, everyone, you've been absolutely stunning. Thanks to:_

_Reviewers;_

_Chapter One._

_musicrox15: I'm glad you liked it! The whole idea was that she needed a reason to escape, so she made it seem like she was scared and had a reason to run away with Jerome. Thanks for reviewing!_

_Chapter Two._

_Sibuna4life: Thanks for saying it's cute, that was really sweet! He was supposed to be about five at the time. Thanks for reviewing!_

_Chapter Three._

_Gummy-bears28: Thank you for saying it gets more and more sweet! That was one intention for this, to make it a bit sweeter than my usual writing. Thanks for reviewing!_

_Chapter Four._

_Gummy-bears28: I hope it didn't actually make you burst. ;) I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reviewing!_

_PercabethJasper'n'more: I'm glad to see there are still Jara fans in the world. Thanks for reviewing!_

_Chapter Five._

_Sibuna4life: Aw, I'm really glad you thought it was adorable. Thanks for reviewing._

_Chapter Six._

_Sibuna4life: Thanks for reviewing!_

_Gummy-bears28: Thanks for reviewing!_

_Chapter Seven._

_Sibuna4life: Thanks for reviewing!_

_To my followers:_

_musicrox15: Thank you for following!_

_Sibuna4life: Thank you for following!_

_PercabethJasper'n'more: Thank you for following!_

_To my favouriters:_

_Gummy-bears28: Thank you for favouriting!_

___musicrox15: Thank you for favouriting!_

_____PercabethJasper'n'more: Thank you for favouriting!_

_____And a big thanks to everyone who read! Remember, any ideas or requests, just review or PM me! :)_


	12. AUTHOR'S NOTE 2

AUTHOR'S NOTE 2!

Sequel now up! It still needs a title, but if you want to read it, just check my page! It focuses on Mara in her twenties.

Hope you enjoy it. Remember, if there's anything you want to see, just review or PM me.


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